THE DRUPE-FRUITS 157 



the original home of the species was probably southern and cen- 

 tral Europe and Asia Minor, where it grows in moderately dry 

 soils and seldom in the shade, preferring always warm sunny 

 sites, such as gravelly or stony hillsides. The predilections 

 cling to the species in its cultivated varieties. The sweet cherry 

 has been cultivated in all parts of Europe as far back as written 

 records go. From what is known of the histories of hardy 

 fruits, one may surmise that the sweet cherry was one of 

 the first to come under cultivation; certainly the wild product 

 of no other of these fruits would be as enticing to beginners in 

 agriculture. The first colonists who came to America from all 

 of the European countries brought the sweet cherry, and have 

 taken it with them in all of their migi-ations from older to 

 newer parts of the continent. The number of cultivated varie- 

 ties of sweet cherries is about 600. 



228. The sweet cherry as a stock. — Under the name ]\Iazzard, 

 the sweet cherry, usually grown as a seedling, is almost uni- 

 versally used as a stock, in North America competing with the 

 Mahaleb for this purpose. Three characters commend Mazzard 

 stocks : the trees are very vigorous and make strong nursery 

 and orchard plants; they do not sucker as do nearly all other 

 cherries; and when well grown, the stocks are easily budded. 

 Faults are : the seedling trees are not hardy enough for cold 

 climate; and the foliage in the nursery is very susceptible 

 to fungi. In most climates, Mazzard is the best stock for sweet 

 cherries, and sour cherries usually make a larger growth on it 

 than on the Mahaleb which is being more and more used in 

 eastern America at least. 



229. Groups of sweet cherries. — Wherever sweet cherries are 

 grown, two pomological groups are recognized, the distinguish- 

 ing characters of which are soft and firm flesh. Each of these 

 groups is divided into two subgroups in accordance with color 

 of fruit and juice. 



(1) The Geans. — Sweet cherries with soft tender flesh form 

 a group known by the French name Guigne or the English 

 Gean. These are also for the most part the Heart cherries 

 of common parlance. These soft-fruited cherries may be divided 

 into dark colored varieties with reddish juice and light colored 

 sorts with colorless juice. Typical light colored Geans are Coe, 



